"Staba"

The Japanese adoption of foreign "loadn" words, be they place names, brands or common vocabulary words, are remarkable for their brevity and uniqueness. "Staba" ("a" as in "father") is how you would say Starbucks in Japanese-English. "Schuwa-chan" (pronounced SHOO-AH) is how the Japanese refer to Arnold Schwarzenegger; "chan" is a cute term of endearment and a very common suffix added to nicknames. McDonald's is simply "Mac". Brad Pitt is "Bura Pi" (pronounced BOO-RA-PEE).

Anyway, I digress. The point is this: a number of weeks ago we visited a well-known shoping area called Grandberry Mall to visit the massive REI-turned-Mont Bell outdoor gear store. Miki outgrew her summer sun hat and we were also looking for one of those SPF-saturated quick-dry shirts for both she and Sam.

The Grandberry Mall could be any large mall-like complex in North America, the resemblance is uncanny and obviously intentional. Case in point: the mall's theme is outlet stores. I'm always reminded of the acres of shopping complexes found in North Conway, New Hampshire and other similar areas along the Eastern coast.

So, after having a walk around we stopped at the "Staba" for a cup of tea and a small glucose-laden treat to appease Miki.

Here are a few photos from that afternoon. And Miki in her new sun hat.